The Mystery of the Loch
by Lyle P. Blosser
Summary: Dr. Quest comes to the aid of a colleague who has had a run-in with the monster of Loch Ness!


Author: Lyle P. Blosser  
E-mail: lblosser@raex.com  
  
DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and distinctive characters copyright Hanna-Barbera   
and/or Warner Bros. This is strictly a fan-created, not-for-profit   
work, and is in no way affiliated with or approved by Hanna-Barbera   
or any other copyright holders. No infringement of any rights,   
stated or implied, is intended by this work. What's mine? The story   
idea and it's execution in written form.  
  
RATING: G  
ARCHIVERS: Permission granted  
  
NOTES: I grew up on CJQ, and was always disappointed that it ended after only  
one season; my efforts are attempts to correct that, at least for fans.  
  
This story takes place after the events in _Turu the Terrible_ and   
before those in _Pirates From Below_.  
  
  
"The Mystery of the Loch"  
  
Eastern Loch Ness was still in shadow; the steep hills that lay hard up   
against the far shore were deep blue and silhouetted against the lightening sky.  
The early morning sun would be climbing for another half hour before its rays   
finally illuminated the loch's surface where the converted shrimp trawler, the   
_Bonnie Lass_, anchored. As the bright orange submersible _Sea Slug II_ was   
lowered gently over the side in a sling, Professor Angus MacDougal watched   
pensively while his assistant grinned and waved from the sub's cramped cabin,   
his unruly red hair visible through the starboard port.   
  
Just as the craft entered the water, MacDougal felt a twinge of disappointment.   
He should have been at the controls, gliding downward into the murky depths in   
the little submersible. After all, it was his device they were testing, and   
Sean was still getting his "sea legs", having just hired on four months back,   
although he was a quick study.  
  
But, not two weeks earlier, MacDougal had suffered a collarbone fracture   
when he'd been sideswiped by a car that had come out of nowhere, swerving   
recklessly wide around a tight bend in the road as MacDougal had approaching   
from the other direction. Unfortunately, MacDougal had been peddling his bike   
at the time, on his way to work. The car had never stopped, even though its   
driver must have known MacDougal had been hit. It careened around yet   
another bend, tires screeching, leaving MacDougal to limp the remaining two   
kilometers to the lab just outside Drumnadrochit, where he phoned the local   
doctor's office and then the police. The doctor was helpful, bracing his   
shoulder and putting his arm in a sling; the local law was not so helpful. Oh,   
not that they weren't willing, they were, but he'd only got a glimpse of the car   
(a small red blur, that's all he could recall), and they couldn't track down all  
of the small red cars in the area.  
  
So, now, here he stood, on the deck of the _Bonnie Lass_, as the sub gradually  
disappeared into the dark waters of the loch. Since two fully-functional   
hands were definitely needed to pilot the sturdy little craft through the peat-  
clogged waters of Loch Ness, it was Sean that got to do the driving, while   
MacDougal monitored the results on board their trawler.  
  
MacDougal swung down into the cockpit, crammed full of electronic gear.  
Diligent scavenging of the university's chaotic lab storage areas had provided  
most of the equipment, but he'd also done a bit of bargaining with some of the  
local fishermen. He knew they often laughed behind his back when he  
paid their raised prices, but it was worth a little humiliation to get the gear  
without having to go begging at the university continually. He'd skipped a few  
meals, and dug into his own savings as well, but if his ideas panned out...  
  
"Bonnie Lass to Sea Slug II", he called. "How d'ya read, Sean?"  
  
"Slug to Bonnie, clear as a bell," came the reply. "Just trimming up for the  
descent."  
  
"Roger, Sea Slug. Switching on repeater console, awaiting your relay."  
MacDougal flipped a toggle that caused a large-screened console to come to   
life, an exact duplicate of the box squeezed into the cramped space inside the  
submersible. With a low hum, the screen slowly brightened, showing blobs and  
streaks swirling leisurely around.  
  
"Aye, Professor, you should be seein' something now. More'n I can say for my  
own situation."  
  
MacDougal chuckled. "But that's exactly the point, my lad; that's why were   
here instead of in some clearer waters." Indeed, it was precisely because of   
the poor visibility in Loch Ness's deep, dark environs that they were here this   
morning. The first trials of Professor MacDougal's compressed-sonic sonar in   
ordinary lakes had gone well, the little device accurately detecting underwater   
objects far more distantly, and far more clearly than conventional sonars   
could. But Ness's waters were special, so full of peat and silt that ordinary   
sonars were essentially limited to looking at close-up objects. If it could   
penetrate these murky depths, MacDougal's device was ready for the big time.   
He envisioned search-and-rescue ships equipped with his invention. able to   
locate crash sites (and survivors!) of boats and planes that were normally   
unfindable. Salvage operators, too, should find the device a boon.  
  
As his assistant dove the little craft ever deeper, the up-to-now-hidden  
denizens of the loch, mostly trout and charr and other fish, but also some  
lobsters and other creatures, showed as small blips. Schools of the fish   
showed as swirls of color. Mostly close-up stuff, and visually confirmable   
using the Slug's powerful searchlight.  
  
"Boost the search radius, please," MacDougal radioed. Riley confirmed, and   
the screen momentarily blanked, then began filling in with larger forms, as the  
hyper-condensed sonics of MacDougal's device penetrated widely across the   
loch. The screen began to show the contours of Loch Ness's deeper realms; a   
steeply-sloped rocky shelf, bottoming out onto a smooth plain-like landscape.   
Myriads of filter-feeders could be made out, swarming across the muddy layer   
of sediment that lay thickly at the bottom of the freshwater loch.  
  
Suddenly, a shrill beep sounded from the console, and a huge form appeared on  
the scope, travelling rapidly along the bottom toward the little sub.  
  
"Sea Slug, confirm, possible large object heading in your direction, bearing   
fifty degrees."  
  
"Bonnie Lass, aye!" came the excited reply. "I've got the target." A pause,  
then a nervious-sounding question. "What d'ya make of it, Professor -- a  
seiche, maybe?" Loch Ness was known for her large underwater pressure   
waves, sometimes up to forty meters in height, that often swept through the   
loch.  
  
"Slug, nay, it's not the right shape nor density for a wave -- it appears to be  
a solid object, nearly 20 meters long. About two hundred meters out, still  
heading directly toward you! Head for the surface, Sean -- get out of there!"  
Anxiously, MacDougal watched the repeater scope which showed the huge   
object, traveling at nearly 20 knots. The position and bearing of the thing   
suddenly changed direction somewhat, then MacDougal realized that was only   
because the Sea Slug was frantically changing course and speed itself, trying   
to escape the approaching unknown. But the object was obviously locked onto   
the sub and instantly adjusted for any course changes the wee vessel made,   
relentlessly drawing nearer and nearer. Now MacDougal's regular sonar on   
the _Bonnie Lass_ was able to pick up the earnest chase as well; both the sub   
and unknown pursuer were near enough to register as larger, fast-moving   
blobs. With each pass of the sonar sweep, however, it became painfully   
obvious that the "Sea Slug" was not fast enough; it would never reach the   
boat, nor the surface, in time.  
  
"Bonnie Lass!" came Sean's frantic cry. "I can make out something in the port  
beams -- it's HUGE!" A deep rumbling sound came over the line, then Sean's  
voice again. "It's big and round and -- Professor! I see a flipper! The  
thing's not stopping -- I think it's going to ---" Sean's voice cut off in mid-  
sentence, and a tremendous groaning crash of static flooded out of the   
speaker.  
  
"Sea Slug, Sea Slug! Do you read? Sea Slug, SEAN, come in!" MacDougal   
urgently called over the comm line; but only static was returned. The repeater   
scope had winked out, too, an ominous sign; its screen was totally dead. The   
boat's sonar only reflected a single large contact. "Sea Slug! Come in, Sea   
Slug!" Still nothing. MacDougal sprang out of the radio room and rushed to   
the stern of the trawler's deck. About one hundred meters away, the water   
boiled furiously. There was no sign of the brightly-colored submersible, not   
even a gleam from her powerful searchlights. Suddenly, a large dark shadow   
loomed out of the depths, heading directly for the boat. A surge of water,   
followed closely by a swirling vortex, began to show on the surface of the   
loch as the object, whatever it was, pushed a large volume of water out ahead   
of it in its rush upward. MacDougal ran to the boat's wheel and gunned the   
engine, turning desperately for shore. The sonar's "pings" sounded closer and   
closer together as the approaching object --  
  
With a tremendous shudder, the "Bonnie Lass" lurched upward and to   
starboard. MacDougal was expecting the collision, but not the severity of it,   
and was thrown overboard. Tumbling into the cold waters of the loch, he   
caught a glimpse of a vast rolling black shape, water streaming down its   
flank, pushing the boat over on its side. A stubby fin or flipper rose   
briefly out of the water, then disappeared as the object rolled. MacDougal   
narrowly missed being struck by the boat's fo'castle as it heeled over. His   
broken collarbone made it nearly impossible to swim, but he struck out in a   
desperate paddle, trying to get out of the way of the foundering boat and the   
terrifying black object under it. A horrible groan sounded as the object drove   
completely through the keel of the boat, smashing it into several rapidly-  
sinking pieces. Then, a vast suction of water, like a giant whirlpool,   
threatened to pull him back into the wreckage. A bright blue plastic crate   
bobbed just out of reach; he reached for it with his good arm and drew it   
under himself, kicking frantically. The maelstrom flattened out, and the water   
grew calmer. The last visible part of the _Bonnie Lass_, one of the old   
shrimper's net cranes, slipped under the waves as junk and debris percolated   
upward from the wreck, leaving a spreading slick of oil and fuel.  
  
* * *  
  
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the dawn was just starting to brighten   
the clear blue skies over Palm Key, a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, just   
off the eastern coast of Florida, when the jangle of the telephone roused Dr.   
Benton Quest from a sound sleep.  
  
"Hello?" he spoke thickly, then cleared his throat and spoke again. "Hello.  
This is Dr. Quest...why, hello, Annie! It's been a long -- what's that?"  
Benton sat up abruptly, looking at the clock. Nearly five-thirty. He listened  
for some seconds as the voice on the line continued, then responded with   
words aimed to calm and reassure. "Of course, Annie, we'll come right away."   
He did some quick figuring, then said, "We can probably be there by the   
middle of the afternoon, your time." The urgent voice resumed, but Benton   
once again reassured the caller. "He's in good hands at the hospital, I'm sure.   
We'll get our things together and leave as soon as possible. You're welcome,   
Annie -- Angus would do the same if our situations were reversed. Please, get   
some rest; we'll phone when we arrive in Scotland. The number at the hospital?"  
He reached for the notepad and pen that lay on the nightstand and wrote as the   
voice on the phone, a bit calmer now, gave him the information. "OK, Annie,   
see you soon, Good-bye."  
  
With a sigh, Benton replaced the phone handset on its cradle and rubbed the  
last of the fuzziness from his eyes and his mind. Pushing the covers back, he  
dialed Race Bannon's room, explained the situation, then got dressed.  
  
Not quite two hours later, a sleek white supersonic jet, affectionately known   
as the _Dragonfly_, and gleaming brightly in the early morning sun, rolled out   
of its hangar, down the runway, and into the sky. After gaining some altitude,   
it banked in a long, smooth turn to the northeast, and headed out over the   
ocean. At the controls, Race Bannon noted a slight sluggishness in the lift-  
off; a slight reluctance to gain altitude. But then, that was to be expected  
with the heavier than usual cargo stowed in the hold. It had taken nearly the  
entire two hours since the unexpected early morning phone call from Scotland to  
get all of the equipment Dr. Quest requested on board the ship. Some of it even  
had to be partially dismantled to fit it inside the _Dragonfly_. Although it   
seemed like a lot, Race had learned long ago to trust Dr. Quest in planning this  
type of trip; the scientist really only took what he thought would be needed.   
Dr. Quest's planning paid off more often than not; almost always everything they  
took along was used at some point during the trip. Once, he'd even carried   
aboard a large mirror on a trip to the Sargasso Sea, an unusual item to take on   
board a scientific research ship if ever there was one, but, as usual, the   
mirror had served its purpose, eventually playing a critical part in their   
mission.  
  
"Where are we going again, Dad?" asked Benton's young son Jonny, who was   
still trying to wake up and adjust to the early morning excitement. Benton   
looked fondly at his son as the boy tried to stifle a yawn. Bandit, Jonny's   
ever-faithful bulldog pup, made no such effort; he was cradled in Jonny's lap,   
asleep. Hadji sat quietly in the seat next to Jonny, but his dark brown eyes   
were focused, attentive.  
  
"A small town in Scotland called Drumnadrochit, although we'll be landing at   
the airport in Inverness."  
  
"And what's in Drimna...Drumna...droch..?"  
  
"Drumnadrochit. It's where a colleague and old friend, Professor Angus   
MacDougal, has his laboratory. Professor MacDougal's wife Annie phoned to   
say he's been in a boat accident."  
  
"Is Professor MacDougal going to be all right, sir?" asked Hadji from his seat   
behind Race.  
  
"Yes," replied Dr. Quest. "Annie said he's resting in the hospital, although  
he hasn't yet regained consciousness. The physicians are a bit concerned that  
he might have suffered a concussion, or some deep traumatic shock."  
  
"Explain to me again what happened, doctor?" asked Race as he urged the  
supersonic jet toward the higher altitudes required for trans-Atlantic flights.  
The pilot's tanned face was totally alert, and his actions in flying the huge   
plane were calm and self-assured. "And you say that Professor MacDougal is   
an old acquaintance?"  
  
"Yes," Dr. Quest replied. "I was just barely out of university when we met  
at a conference in Edinburgh. We hit it off right away, and have kept in  
touch over the years. Last I heard, he was working on a new type of sonar. I  
furnished him with some notes from my laser experiments, as a matter of   
fact." The doctor paused, stroking his red-brown mustache and beard, as if   
that last thought had triggered some interesting notion. "Anyway, early this   
morning MacDougal's wife Annie called in somewhat of a panic. Seems that the   
professor had gone out on Loch Ness early that morning for some more testing   
of his device, and when he missed lunch, she tried calling him on the boat's   
ship-to-shore radio, with no luck. After phoning the lab and several other   
places where he might have been, she thought to call the hospital there at   
Drumnadrochit. She said ever since his bicycle accident several weeks ago   
she'd been worried that something else might happen."  
  
"Like what?" asked Race, his face showing keen interest in this turn of the   
conversation.  
  
"She didn't elaborate. Apparently he'd just been brought in by a group of  
tourists that had seen what happened from shore." Dr. Quest stretched his   
arms over his head, and stifled a yawn himself. "The doctors assured her he's   
going to survive the experience, but she's not convinced." He looked at Race,   
as if awaiting a query.  
  
"There's something more, isn't there?" asked the pilot. "Something about those  
tourists?"  
  
"Your instincts are correct. The tourists that brought Professor MacDougal to  
the hospital had quite an unusual tale to tell." He paused as if for dramatic   
effect. "It seems the professor's boat was sunk by the Loch Ness monster."  
  
"By what?" Race's voice was incredulous.  
  
"Gosh, a monster!" came Jonny's excited voice. "What did it look like?"  
  
"Yes," joined in Hadji. "Please tell us more about this monster of Loch Ness!"  
  
Even Bandit opened one eye at all this commotion.  
  
Benton looked at Race with a smile. "How long to Inverness, Race?"  
  
Race checked the instruments. "About five hours, give or take."  
  
"Good," Dr. Quest replied, then turned in his seat to address Jonny and Hadji.  
"Plenty of time for a history lesson."  
  
"History?" Jonny wrinkled his nose in an expression of mild distaste. "What  
about the monster, Dad?"  
  
"The tale of the Loch Ness Monster is a tale of history, Jonny, stretching all   
the way back to around 650 A.D. It also involves geography, natural history,   
and even sociology." Now both young students looked doubtful. "The monster,   
or Nessie, as it's affectionately known by some--"  
  
"Because it's living in Loch Ness?" asked Hadji.  
  
"Yes, that's correct."  
  
"Dad, what's a loch?" Jonny piped in, eager to forestall the history lesson as   
long as possible.  
  
"Loch is simply the Scottish word for lake, son. There are many lochs in  
Scotland, some of them quite famous. Loch Lommond, for example. But, back   
to the history. Saint Columba, a Roman priest, is said to have spotted the  
beast in the loch and actually commanded it to leave his parishioners alone.   
Through the years, a score of people claim have claimed to have seen Nessie.   
There have been numerous photographs taken that are reported to show the animal,   
but most are too inconclusive to make identification possible. A few have   
been shown to be outright hoaxes."  
  
"But what--?" began Jonny, leaning forward in his seat.  
  
"--does it look like?" finished Hadji. Benton laughed. So much for the history  
lesson.  
  
"Most often, people simply report seeing a dark humped shape in the water;  
leaving a wake or series of ripples in the loch's waters as it swims away.  
Sometimes they claim to see its head on a long, slender neck. It's supposedly  
very shy; no one has ever reported seeing it up close, in daylight." Benton  
paused for a breath, then went on. "No one knows what it might be; all kinds   
of theories have been proposed to explain the alleged creature -- everything   
from a large otter or seal, to floating debris, to a prehistoric holdover from   
the age of dinosaurs, to a seiche, to --"  
  
"Seiche?" queried Hadji, while, at the same time, Jonny asked "Dinosaurs?"  
  
"A seiche is a large wave that can appear unexpectedly. Some can be really   
large, over thirty feet high. Some scientists think Nessie's appearances are   
simply folks seeing the top of a seiche as it travels the length of the loch. It   
could look like a humped, dark object swimming in the water. Seiche are   
known to exist in Loch Ness; some think that the loch has a lot of seiche, due   
to its orientation and shape, which is long and narrow, and parallel to the   
prevailing winds. However..." Dr. Quest turned to look at Jonny. "Other   
folks insist that Nessie is a kind of sea-going dinosaur, a plesiosaurus. It's   
hard to imagine, though, how a plesiosaurus could have survived the millions of   
years since the Mesozoic Age, especially since Loch Ness was scooped out by   
a glacier only ten thousand or so years ago." Dr. Quest paused again as a   
sudden thought struck him. "Although I must admit I never expected to find a   
pteranodon in South America, either, although we all saw one, as you recall.   
So, maybe, just maybe, plesiosaurs did somehow survive and made their way into   
the loch after the glacier retreated." He sounded doubtful, despite his words.  
  
Dr. Quest then led the boys in an exploration of geologic formations, optical   
illusion, the phenomenon of myths and popular folklore, and more. They   
took a break for a quick lunch from the galley stores and spent the rest of the   
flight in quiet reflection. Hadji pulled out the checkerboard from the   
overhead compartment, and he and Jonny soon were absorbed in the game.   
Bandit napped, looked out the window, napped, begged for a snack, napped,   
and otherwise behaved like a dog would be expected to. Soon they were   
descending through the clouds into Inverness, the green, rugged landscape of   
the Scottish Highlands spreading out below them.  
  
Annie met them at the airport. Her normally pretty face showed the strain of   
the past hours, and she obviously hadn't been able to get much rest.  
  
"Well, he's awake," she'd announced after Dr. Quest introduced everyone. "But,  
there's more bad news. It seems my husband's assistant was in the submersible  
when the accident occurred. Since he's not shown up anywhere since, we've had  
to assume the worst -- " Annie seemed about ready to break down with the news,  
tears brimming in her green eyes.  
  
"I'm sure they're doing everything they can," Dr. Quest assured her. "But,   
still, is there anything we can do? We've brought a bit of our own equipment   
along."  
  
"Yes, of course, Angus said you'd be prepared," Annie nodded. "When I told   
him I'd called you, he tried to act upset; said I shouldn't have bothered you."   
She stopped and looked at Benton. "But, I know my own husband, Dr. Quest"   
she continued. "I could tell he was relieved that you'd been notified."   
Another pause. "And that's what's really worrying me -- "  
  
"Because his relief at our impending arrival means he thinks he's out of his   
depth," Dr. Quest stated. Annie nodded. Dr. Quest turned to Race and   
explained. "Professor MacDougal is fiercely independent; it's a normally   
admirable trait that's stood him in good stead through many a trial during his   
career."  
  
"But there comes a time when even the most independent must acknowledge the need  
for help," Race replied as they exited the airport into the brisk Scottish   
weather. "And when that time comes, it means something serious is going on.   
Like maybe..." he paused. "Like maybe he thinks this was no accident."  
  
Annie's long reddish-blond hair whipped about her face in the breeze outside   
the airport as everyone followed her to the car. "I'm afraid you're right, Mr.   
Bannon," Annie reluctantly admitted. "He hasn't said as much to me, but I'm   
fairly certain I'm reading him correctly. You don't live with someone, share   
their work and their life for as long as we have, without being able to tell   
when they're worried, as my Angus is worried."  
  
"Maybe I'd better make arrangements to move our equipment to the accident   
site while you have a talk with the professor, doctor," Race suggested.  
  
"I agree, Race."  
  
"I'll tell you how to get there, Mr. Bannon," Annie volunteered.  
  
* * *  
  
Dr. Quest, Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit rode in comparative silence as Annie   
drove them southward from Inverness toward Loch Ness and Drumnadrochit,   
where Professor MacDougal was recuperating at the hospital just a kilometer   
or so from the professor's laboratory. Annie made a brief show of pointing   
out several landmarks at first, but then lapsed into silence. Dr. Quest didn't   
attempt to keep the conversation going, either; sensing Annie's need for   
solitude. The boys occupied themselves in the back seat, catching the subdued   
mood from the adults. Bandit, of course, napped.  
  
Loch Ness opened up before them as they drove. A starkly beautiful panorama  
unfolded as the loch stretched off to the horizon between the steep green hills  
to either side. The sun, now peeking through scattered clouds, made the   
surface of the loch twinkle and flash. The road wound along beside the loch,   
now and again losing it from sight as they navigated the curves. There were   
scattered settlements which could be seen from the road; small farms, mostly,   
but the occasional cottage as well. It was a picturesque scene, made all the   
prettier by the sun beaming down from a brilliant blue sky.  
  
Soon they reached the outer environs of Drumnadrochit, a small town snuggled   
right up against the edge of the loch. Annie turned off onto a side street, and   
shortly they pulled into the parking lot of the small clinic that served as the  
community hospital. There were only a few other cars in the lot, most of them  
belonging to the clinic's staff.  
  
The receptionist inside knew Annie on sight, and she waved them all through   
double swinging doors into a small waiting room, tastefully decorated in natural   
colors, with little vases of flowers and a few framed paintings on the walls.   
Annie went up to the desk and rang the bell. A nurse popped her head around the   
corner.  
  
"Mrs. MacDougal!" the nurse greeted her with a smile. "You'll be happy to   
know we've ruled out a concussion, and if his progress continues, he'll be able   
to go home in a day or so."  
  
"That is good news!" replied Annie. "Can we go in?" Annie gestured toward   
Dr. Quest and the boys. "This is Dr. Benton Quest, a colleague of my   
husband's. He and his sons have just arrived from America." The nurse took   
them all in, then frowned a bit when she noticed Bandit in Jonny's arms.   
"Maybe it would be best if just yourself and the good doctor go in. The   
doctors are pretty insistent about the professor getting his rest."  
  
"It's OK, Dad," Jonny said. "We'll just sit out here, or maybe we'll take  
Bandit for a walk." Dr. Quest nodded, then followed Annie and the nurse   
through another set of doors.  
  
***  
  
It only took a few minutes for the boys to get restless. Jonny and Hadji   
picked through the meager stacks of magazines in the waiting room and soon   
found the issues were either old, or boring-looking, or both. Jonny had just   
tossed the last one back in its place when Bandit wandered over and put on his   
best begging face.  
  
"Hey, Hadj," Jonny said. "Let's see what it's like outside." Bandit gave a  
little quiet bark.  
  
"Bandit thinks it's a good idea, and so do I," replied Hadji, getting up from  
his chair and heading toward the door. Jonny walked over to the receptionist.  
  
"Excuse me?" he began. When the woman looked up at him, he continued.   
"Could you tell my dad when he comes back out that we decided to take Bandit   
for a walk?" Getting a polite affirmative answer in response, he turned and  
followed Hadji and Bandit out the door into the bright afternoon sunlight.  
  
Bandit sneezed, then immediately began sniffing the ground. Trotting across  
the courtyard and onto the grassy expanse that stretched along the side of the   
building, he stopped once, gave another little bark, then continued across the   
clinic's small yard.  
  
"Hey, Bandit, where do you thing you're going?" Jonny called as he started to   
follow in his dog's path. When the small white bloodhound-wanna-be trotted   
around the corner of the building, the boys followed, but when they turned the  
corner, Bandit was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Bandit! Bandit! Where are you, boy?" called Jonny, while Hadji looked   
behind some likely bushes. "Bandit!"  
  
"Where could he have gone so quickly?"  
  
"I have no idea. He sure can move when he wants to, I guess. Bandit!"  
  
The boys continued calling for Bandit as they made their way along the side of   
the building. Suddenly they heard Bandit growl and then bark. He trotted   
around the corner at the back of the clinic, looked over his shoulder and barked   
again.  
  
"Bandit, come here!" called Hadji. "Don't you know you're not at home and you  
could get--ulp!" Hadji stopped in surprise as three rough-looking men stepped   
from around the building. It was obvious that Bandit was upset at these   
characters, for some reason.  
  
One of the men, the tallest, with unruly red hair, looked at Jonny and Hadji,   
then asked sharply, "That your dog?"  
  
"Yes, he is," replied Jonny. "His name is Bandit, and we--"  
  
"Well, you'd better keep better track of him, kid," piped up another of the   
men, snarling around a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. "He could get hurt."  
It was obvious the man was not speaking out of concern for the small canine.   
Suddenly, he reached down, picked up a pebble, and flung it at Bandit, who was  
standing several yards away, quietly watching the men. The missile fell short   
of its mark, but Bandit yelped and ran back toward Jonny and Hadji, while all   
three men guffawed. "See what I mean?" said cigarette-mouth.  
  
"You leave my dog alone!" Jonny warned.  
  
"Or what?" sneered the third man. "You'll go crying to mama?" The first man   
leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Ye think?" he responded, then looked   
again at the boys. "Say, you part o' that group that's muddying up the loch   
looking for that sunk boat of MacDougal's? What's that bloke's name?" the   
man queried his cohorts, then came up with the answer on his own. "Quest?   
You with that scientist, Quest?"  
  
"That's my dad," Jonny answered proudly. "We're here to help Professor   
MacDougal, and my dad says that we--"  
  
"Don't care what your old man says, kid," snarled cigarette-mouth, spitting the   
butt on the ground and grinding it out under his boot. "But, ye can deliver a   
message to him. Tell him he'd better shove off, or the same thing as happened   
to MacDougal's likely to happen again, only this time to some nosy American,   
instead."  
  
"You can't scare my dad," Jonny retorted. "He'll find out what happened, no   
matter what."  
  
The first man snorted. "Your pa should be scared, only he don't know enough   
yet. He keeps messing around where he's been warned off, and he'll soon be   
regretting it, right enough!" The man glared at the boys. "And tell him he   
should be thinking about his boys and their dog, too, instead of a boat at the   
bottom of the loch." With that, all three men turned and headed back behind   
the clinic. Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit walked back up to the front entrance, the  
boys agreeing that they wouldn't tell anyone except Dr. Quest or maybe Race  
about the encounter.  
  
They'd just returned to the clinic's waiting room when Annie MacDougal  
came back through the doors, looking much better than when she'd left them.  
  
"Boys, it looks like your father and my husband are going to be a while. How  
about I take you to my house and see about getting some supper?"  
  
"Sounds great, Mrs. MacDougal," replied Hadji, stealing a glance at Jonny,  
who nodded to show he'd picked up Hadji's covert signal. Telling Dr. Quest   
about the men behind the clinic could wait.  
  
"Yeah, super," chimed in Jonny. "I am pretty hungry. Do you think we could  
find something for Bandit, too?"  
  
"I'm sure we can," Annie replied with a smile. "Let's go."  
  
* * *  
  
"Benton?" Dr. Quest looked up from his notebook, where he had been writing   
a few reminders to himself, to see the professor's gaunt face blinking at him   
from the hospital bed. The man had dozed off just after his wife had left to   
see if Jonny and Hadji wanted something to eat. He was obviously still quite   
weak.  
  
"I'm here, Angus." He reached over to grasp the other man's shoulder.  
  
"Aye, Ben, I knew ye would be." Professor MacDougal took a labored breath.  
"I just dinna expect ye so quickly..."  
  
Dr. Quest smiled. "You know, they've made great strides in aviation since we   
first met over thirty years ago." He was encouraged to see his friend's  
smile at the gentle ribbing. Then, seeing the man's face cloud over, he   
continued. "Now, tell me what's happened, if you feel up to it."  
  
"Oh, I'm up to it, I'm up to it. It's just..." He paused and visibly   
gathered his thoughts. "It's just that it's hard to admit, especially to  
myself, that I could've had the wool pulled over my eyes so easily."  
  
Dr. Quest pulled his chair closer to the side of the bed. "Perhaps you'd better  
start at the beginning."  
  
"Aye, perhaps I should...It all started going awry when I placed an ad in the   
university paper..."  
  
* * *  
  
The drive to the MacDougal's cottage on a hill overlooking the loch only took  
a few minutes, and they all piled out and headed up the stone path toward the   
small green wooden door set into the side of the house. Annie got out her keys  
and began to unlock the door, when she made a small noise of surprise. She   
gently pushed the door; it swung open silently. Jonny and Hadji tensed,   
expecting something bad to happen. They were still on edge after the encounter   
with the threatening men behind the clinic.  
  
"Hello?" Annie called, standing in the doorway. "Hello? Anybody there?"  
  
"Annie, it's just me," came a man's voice, and Annie's expression changed   
from one of concern to one of relief.  
  
"Come on, boys," she said, moving into the cottage's entryway. "You can bring  
Bandit in, too. Hello, Papa." This last was to a stocky man standing at the   
stove in the kitchen, which opened right onto the landing. He was working   
over a large pot, from which came a wonderful odor. The room was cheerily lit   
and quite warm compared to the chilly afternoon outside. Annie embraced the   
man and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Boys, meet my papa, Evan Stewart.   
Papa, this is Jonny and Hadji Quest. Oh, and their dog, Bandit."  
  
"Hello, lads." The man energetically shook each of their hands, and even gave  
Bandit a pat on the head, and a rub behind an ear. "So, you're Benton Quest's  
boys, eh?"  
  
"Yes, sir," replied Jonny. "My dad's gonna help Professor MacDougal figure   
out what happened to his boat."  
  
"Aye, and he'll need a bit o' luck, I'm a-thinking, afore'n the tale is told.  
Some say it were Nessie, though I don't hold to such." He paused for a breath,  
then continued in a somewhat more thoughtful manner. "Although I can't   
rightly say, meself, what lies at the root o' this, just yet." Then he clapped  
his hands together. "Never mind that, now; you boys hungry?"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Hadji and Jonny answered in near unison, and Bandit barked as   
well. The man laughed; and everyone joined in. Jonny looked at Hadji and he   
could tell that his friend liked old Mr. Stewart as well as he.  
  
"Well, good! Stew's about ready. Go on into the other room, and it won't be   
but a moment. Annie, a bit o' help?" As Annie began getting plates and such   
out of a cupboard, the boys and Bandit wandered through an open archway into   
the next room.  
  
It was a very cozy-feeling room, dominated on one side by a huge stone   
fireplace and furnished with several overstuffed and comfortable-looking chairs.  
Around the walls of the room were myriad shelves, most holding books and   
magazines of all types, but some held knickknacks and photographs. There was   
an old compass, a small telescope, some maps and what looked like log books on   
one overloaded table under the sole window in the room. Hadji wandered over to   
a dark-colored wooden cabinet to look at the pictures arrayed on the cabinet's   
top. His eyes were drawn to one photograph in particular, which showed two men   
standing beside a large orange machine, faces beaming. It was the orange   
machine that had caught Hadji's attention, but he soon was riveted by the site   
of the man standing next to the right of it.  
  
"Jonny! Come look at this!" His friend came over to look at the image.  
  
"Wow! Is that a mini-sub?" Jonny asked.  
  
"Yes, I think it is, but look at that man on the right!"  
  
"Gosh! That's one of the men from behind the clinic!"  
  
"I, too, think that's one of them. Oh, Mrs. MacDougal..."  
  
"Yes, Hadji?" Annie came in wiping her hands on a small towel. "Supper's   
nearly ready. Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Who is that in the photograph, with the mini-sub?"  
  
"That's my husband, there, on the left. On the right is Sean Riley, my   
husband's assistant. Och, lads, those two were so proud and happy when that  
picture was taken, only a few months ago!" She smiled at the memory, then   
frowned again. "To think it's Sean that's now gone missing, from that same  
accident that sank the _Bonnie Lass_..."  
  
Jonny looked at Hadji, who nodded slightly. This could be important.  
  
"Um, Mrs. MacDougal?" began Jonny. "You said that Sean Riley was the one   
that was in the mini-sub when the accident happened? And that he hasn't been   
seen since?"  
  
"That's right," Annie said. "I can hardly believe it. Why, I just saw Sean  
yesterday morning, when he came to the house to pick up my Angus before heading  
out on the loch."  
  
"Well," Jonny continued, as Hadji nodded again to encourage him. "We think   
we saw Sean today, at the clinic, while we were walking Bandit around   
outside."  
  
"What?! "Are you sure? I mean, that seems pretty unlikely, boys." She looked   
at them skeptically.  
  
Both Hadji and Jonny looked at the photograph again, but there was no doubt.   
The man Annie MacDougal had identified as Sean Riley, Professor MacDougal's   
assistant, was the tall man from behind the clinic. His red hair was   
unmistakable. "We're sure, ma'am," Hadji answered for them both.  
  
* * *  
  
They told the story again, when Dr. Quest and Race showed up at the house   
just after sunset. Rather than expressing disbelief, Dr. Quest got a thoughtful   
look on his face.  
  
"You know, Race," he said. "Professor MacDougal mentioned to me that he  
thought someone was trying to keep him from testing his latest invention, a  
kind of super sonar that would do wonders for the search-and-rescue crowd."  
  
"But who would want to stop that?" responded Race. "I'd think that everyone  
would encourage such a thing, not try to suppress it."  
  
"Yes, it doesn't make much sense, does it? And yet, when I talked to him  
this afternoon, he seemed convinced that this is the case." Dr. Quest paused,  
then looked directly at Annie. "He is not a man I'd characterize as being   
subject to wild flights of fancy."  
  
Annie nodded. "That's true. There's not a more securely-grounded man in all  
of Drumnadrochit, I'm sure. But to think that Sean plays any part in this,"  
she shook her head. "I'd have said that was impossible, too."  
  
"Well," Dr. Quest resumed. "Regardless of that little mystery, I think we'd  
better proceed with our original plan, Race. Is the prober ship-shape?"  
  
"Yes, she is. A shame we didn't have time to finish the work on those  
robotic handlers before we came. I've a feeling they would've come in  
handy."  
  
"I agree. But we'll just have to do what we can without them. Just being able  
to examine the bottom of the loch first-hand will be something. Let's just hope  
it's enough." And with that, everyone decided to turn in, so as to get a fresh  
start early the next day.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, as Dr. Quest and Race prepared to return to their base of   
operations along the shore of the loch, Annie suggested to her father that he   
take the boys to see Urquhart Castle, just a few kilometers away. She didn't   
say anything to her father about it, but she'd been quite distressed at hearing  
of the boys' encounter with the three hooligans behind the clinic. A little  
side-trip with her father would be just the thing, she thought. And in case  
the three rough characters returned, the boys would be out of harm's way. Her  
father didn't take much convincing, as he obviously was fond of the lads, and  
neither did Dr. Quest when she mentioned her plan to him.  
  
"That's a fine idea, Annie," he'd said. "The boys wanted to tag along with Race   
and myself, I'm sure, but I also know those two would soon get pretty bored just   
sitting around."  
  
So, here they were poking around the crumbling walls and ramparts of the old   
castle along the Loch Ness shore, having a little fun and burning off some of  
their seemingly unending energy. A couple of tourist buses had pulled in a   
few minutes ago, and there were upwards of fifty other folks doing the same.  
Evan Stewart spent most of his time looking out over the loch from the hill next  
to the castle itself, seemingly lost in thought. The boys, he knew, would be  
all right, and it was good to see them running about, exclaiming over the   
discoveries they made among the castle's ruins.  
  
Hadji had just started to tell Jonny about some old ruins he once had visited in   
his own country, when the boys heard Bandit give a low growl. They saw the   
ever-vigilent pup looking at a group of tourists near the entrance to the   
castle's catacombs.  
  
"What's up, boy?" asked Jonny, looking around. "Do you see what's got him   
upset, Hadj?"  
  
"No, I do not. There's just that bunch of tourists -- hey! Jonny! That man   
over there -- by the steps!"  
  
"Where? I don't see -- oh! That's Sean Riley, again!" The man had covered   
most of his flaming red hair with a stocking cap, but enough stuck out that the   
boys recognized him immediately. "I wonder what he's doing here?"  
  
Jonny looked around to see where Mr. Stewart was. If only they could get   
someone else to verify that the man was indeed Sean Riley. But, with a quick   
glance around, Riley ducked into a opening in the stone wall.  
  
"Hey, he's going down into the caverns," said Hadji. "Let's follow him and see   
what he's up to."  
  
"Right, but let's keep out of sight -- I don't think he's seen us yet, and I'd   
like to keep it that way. And, Bandit, keep it quiet, will ya?" Bandit snorted   
softly, but he knew when his master meant business.  
  
"Do you think we should tell Annie's dad where we're going?" Hadji asked,   
motioning across the courtyard to where Mr. Stewart stood gazing at the loch.  
  
"No time," Jonny said, starting toward the dark entrance to the catacombs.   
"We don't want to lose him."  
  
* * *  
  
"Anything, Doctor?" Race called over the radio.  
  
"Nothing," came the reply. "That is nothing but a thick layer of mud that's  
making visibility all but impossible, even with the prober's high-powered   
lights. I'm having to use the prober's sonar to guide me through some of the   
trickier parts." Race and Dr. Quest had spelled each other all morning,   
taking turns methodically searching the bottom of the loch. The treads of the   
prober, while proving able to navigate through the thick layer of muck and   
sediment, also stirred up the waters mightily, making it difficult to see   
anything. It was tedious, mind-numbing work. Dr. Quest was now searching out a   
little further into the loch, in the hopes that some bit of wreckage would show   
up.  
  
"Wait a minute, Race. I think I may have found something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"A bit of cable, looks like. Could be the umbilical from the mini-sub. I'm   
following it now. This muck sure makes slow going."  
  
"You've got plenty of life support, yet," Race replied after checking several   
gauges on his control panel. "No need to hurry."  
  
"I'm thinking of our Mr. Riley," Dr. Quest replied. "If he's still in that sub,   
he's running desperately short of time." A brief pause. "I'm picking up a   
small return on the sonar, directly ahead."  
  
"Is it the sub?"  
  
"Can't tell yet. The cable still leads in that direction...wait. Something's   
ahead -- emerging out of the muck. Yes! Race! It is the sub! It's here,   
half-buried on the bottom!"  
  
"How's it look?"  
  
"I'm waiting for the sediment to settle a bit, but I'm hopeful. The lights are   
still on -- I can see the emergency lighting through one of the portholes. No   
sign of anyone, though. I'm going out to take a closer look; I should be able   
to see better if I leave the prober."  
  
"Roger." Race monitored Dr. Quest's vitals as he exited the prober's air lock   
and swam gently over to the sub. Aside from a slightly elevated heartbeat, and   
a bit more labored breathing, all was well.  
  
Inside the prober, the sonar began picking up a larger object approaching, but   
Dr. Quest was already outside, and did not see it. It was a very large object.  
  
"Race, I'm there! That's odd..."  
  
"What did you find?"  
  
"There's no one inside! The lights are on, the power is still on, but the sub   
is empty. Hold on, the hatch is unlocked. I'm heading inside."  
  
"Cautiously, Doctor," Race murmured.  
  
As Dr. Quest entered the sub, four dark figures swam out of the murky gloom.   
With silent, quick motions, one of the figures instructed the others to surround   
the small sub laying on the loch's muddy floor.  
  
* * *  
  
For a moment, Jonny and Hadji thought that Riley had somehow given them the   
slip. They'd quickly but cautiously crept down the steps into the darkness  
below. The occasional electric light, while providing enough light to see the  
passage by, did little to pierce the inky darkness, and the door to the   
individual cells of the ancient dungeon were black yawning mouths. Then Jonny  
spotted a flicker of dim light spilling from one of the cells down the hall.  
Ever so quietly, they stole down the rough stone corridor and peeked into the  
small space. Hadji held his hand over Bandit's mouth, but the little pup seemed  
to understand the need for silence and remained still. Riley was standing with  
his back to them, holding a burning cigarette lighter in one hand and running   
his other hand along the ceiling of the cramped musty cell. Suddenly, they   
heard a muffled click, and a portion of the back wall of the cell moved, a small   
door opening inward. Riley slipped quickly into the opening and the door slid   
shut, with just a faint grinding noise.  
  
"Gosh, a secret door!" whispered Jonny.  
  
"I think I saw where the latch was," replied Hadji. "Let's go!"  
  
It was harder than expected to find the spot that Riley had used, but finally  
Jonny's probing fingers found a small depression in the rock; a dimple that gave  
slightly when he pushed. Another muffled click, and the door slowly swung open.  
It was pitch black inside, but Jonny pulled a small penlight from his pocket  
and grinned. "All-ee all-ee out's in free!" he whispered as he slid into the  
small opening.  
  
"Jonny, wait!" Hadji reached down and removed Bandit's collar, then laid it  
carefully inside the doorway. The door swung shut, then stopped just before  
shutting completely, wedged open a tiny crack by the collar. "Just in case we  
can't open it from the inside," Hadji said.  
  
The three adventurers slowly made their way downward through a narrow crack in  
the rock. Occasionally, they stopped to listen, but heard nothing of Riley.  
The man was probably far ahead of them by now. As they proceeded downward, they  
noticed an occasional crude step hacked into the floor, and the walls seemed a  
bit straighter than would normally be found in a cave.  
  
"You know, Jonny, this was probably a cave they found while building the castle,  
and they turned it into an escape route. I wonder where it ends up?"  
  
"Beats me; if I had to guess I'd say we're somewhere under Loch Ness. What   
could be down here?"  
  
"An excellent question, kid!" boomed a voice and a brilliant light shown in  
their faces, temporarily blinding them. Bandit barked, and they heard a  
familiar voice gruffly saying, "Keep that mutt quiet!" As their eyes regained   
some sight, they could see Riley standing behind them, blocking their escape,   
while another man stood in front of them with the flashlight.  
  
"I knew I heard someone behind me," Riley said to the other man. "Figures it  
would be these snooper kids again."  
  
"What do we do with 'em?" queried the other man.  
  
"They were so curious to see where I was going, we'll escort them the rest of  
the way ourselves. We'll let the captain decide what to do with them. Go on,  
then." He motioned the boys forward, and they followed the man with the  
flashlight deeper into the caverns.  
  
* * *  
  
They were waiting for Dr. Quest when he emerged from the sub's hatch. Two   
black-suited frogmen pointed spear guns directly at him, while a third reached   
from behind him with a knife and expertly cut the cable to his transmitter  
before he could utter a word. A fourth man had just attached a cable to the   
downed submersible and swam up to the rest of the group, then motioned them all   
forward. Dr. Quest briefly thought about resisting, but thought better of it.   
Besides, it was likely that these goons would take him directly to the persons   
he wanted to see, anyway, so, for now, he would bide his time.   
  
After a relatively short swim through the loch's dark waters, Dr. Quest began to  
sense a large object in the water with them. He was not surprised when the vast  
shape resolved into a submarine. The leader of the dive team directed him to   
swim into an opening that lead into a large moon pool, where he was lifted from   
the water by two more burly seamen. The dive leader emerged from the moon  
pool and removed his mask, then stared malevolently at Dr. Quest while removing   
his tanks. Another man approached the leader and whispered in his ear; as the   
man listened his gaze grew even darker.  
  
"Did you not receive a warning to drop this matter, Dr. Quest?" he growled.  
Some sort of eastern European accent, or maybe even Russian, was evident in his  
voice.  
  
"Threatening children," returned the doctor coldly. "Ah, yes, the mark of a   
true intellectual." He stared right back at the man, measuring him. "Who are   
you, and how do you know my name?"  
  
"We have resources among the locals, Doctor," the man nonchalantly answered.   
"Unfortunately, some of those don't always work out so well, and we're forced to  
act in a more direct manner." He nodded to the men standing behind Dr. Quest,  
and they prodded him down a narrow passageway and into a small room.  
  
"You won't be able to get Professor MacDougal's device to work, you know."  
  
"No? I should think we have adequate resources to solve any problems we may run   
into. Especially now that you've joined our little group."  
  
"Joined?" Dr. Quest retorted. "I think not. I may be here, but my presence is  
totally against my will, sir; I doubt that you, or anyone else in your 'little   
group', can convince me otherwise."  
  
"That may be so, but we shall have to try to convince you anyway, won't we?   
It would be so much more pleasant for you if you changed your mind."  
  
When Dr. Quest remained silent, the man withdrew, and the hatch slammed shut   
behind him. The wheel on the hatch spun, and Dr. Quest felt sure it was now   
jammed shut from the outside, with a guard or two added for good measure. He   
sat down on the small cot in the otherwise bare room, and steeled himself   
against the times to come.  
  
* * *  
  
Evan Stewart was utterly amazed that two boys and a dog could disappear so   
completely and quickly. He'd only taken his eyes off them for a second, it   
seemed, and now they were gone. He'd last seen them headed for the entrance to   
the catacombs beneath the castle that had served as its dungeon many years past,   
so he tramped through the dimly-lit passageway, looking in each of the cells.   
After making another pass through the dungeon, he headed back up the steep stone   
stairway. Reaching the grassy area that had been the castle's courtyard, he   
walked methodically over the grounds, but without any luck. He even went back   
to the parking lot to confirm they were not waiting back at the car.  
  
Not wanting to panic, but feeling a rising sense of foreboding, he jumped in the   
car and headed for the site where Dr. Quest and Race had set up their command   
center.  
  
* * *  
  
Race Bannon knew something was wrong. Several minutes ago, there had been a   
burst of static from Dr. Quest's suit radio, and since then he had not received  
any word from the doctor. Nor were his calls getting through. More ominously,   
he was no longer receiving Dr. Quest's vital signs, but that could just be a   
problem with the radio. Possibly. Or it could be something more sinister.  
  
He was just getting up from the prober command console, with the intention of  
putting on his diving gear and heading out there himself, when Annie's father   
drove up in a rush and told him about the boys. Weighing his responsibilities   
and the situation quickly, he urged Evan back into the car and they headed back   
to the castle. Dr. Quest could handle himself well in almost any situation; his   
new focus now lay with Jonny and Hadji.  
  
As they drove, he asked Evan to explain everything once again. The caverns   
beneath the castle drew his attention almost from the start. Call it a sixth   
sense, or intuition, or whatever, but Race felt certain that his best bet of   
relocating the boys and their dog was to follow in their last-known steps.  
  
It only took a moment's work to search the half-dozen cells and see the glint   
from Bandit's collar wedged in the crack that formed the lip of the door in the   
back of the cell. He sent Evan back to his daughter's cottage with   
instructions to be on the alert for suspicious characters. Race almost   
instinctively knew that Jonny and Hadji's experience with the toughs behind the   
clinic had something to do with their disappearance; it was also likely that   
Annie was also now in danger.   
  
Evan was only too happy to carry out Race's suggestion, eager to do something   
useful after failing so miserably with his earlier task of chaperoning the boys.   
Race saw the look on the man's face and touched him gently on the shoulder.  
"It's not your fault, Evan. Those boys have given me the slip many'a time. You   
did right by coming to me as quickly as you did." Evan nodded, then turned and   
ran up the dungeon steps.  
  
Race examined the dim light source just outside the cell, then with a quick   
twist removed it from its holder. The little battery-powered device didn't put   
out much illumination, but it would be enough in the absolute darkness of the   
tunnel Race had glimpsed behind the door. Picking up Bandit's collar and   
stuffing it in a pocket, he pried open the door and headed at a silent but   
ground-covering pace down the passageway behind it.  
  
After only a few minutes, he heard voices in the tunnel ahead of him. And then   
-- was that Bandit barking? Using extreme caution, he continued onward. Soon,   
the flickering of flashlights could be seen ahead. He followed the lights as   
they proceeded through the tunnel, then hung back as the passage emptied into a   
larger cave. Through the moving shadows ahead he could make out the forms of a   
group of people -- two larger ones with two smaller ones between them.   
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, he carefully crossed the open space of the   
cave and entered the narrow passage on the other side, about twenty yards   
behind the others.  
  
Suddenly, the figures ahead stopped, and appeared to be opening a doorway. The   
two smaller figures were shoved inside the room, and the two large figures stood   
just inside the doorway as Race crept to within ten feet of them. He could now   
hear the voices much more clearly -- it was definitely Jonny speaking. But that   
other voice sounded familiar, too. It was Dr. Quest! Race held his breath and   
paused just outside the door.  
  
"So, you're the elusive Mr. Riley," That was Dr. Quest. "So what happens now?"  
  
An unfamiliar voice replied. "I'm not so certain you want to be asking a lot of   
questions, Quest. It's that kind of snooping around where you shouldn't have   
been that's got you and your boys here in the first place."  
  
"The boys can't hurt you; let them go."  
  
"Unfortunately, that's not possible. They've seen too much. Your presence here   
has forced our hand a bit, but..."  
  
"Obviously, your hidden base here is unknown to the local government. What do   
you hope to accomplish?"  
  
"Let's just say we want to keep our secret a secret for a while longer. It's   
been real valuable to our employer to have this little home-away-from-home in   
operation over the past twenty years or so. You'd be amazed at what you can   
hear if no one knows you're listening."  
  
"Simple spying? So how does Professor MacDougal fit into all this?"  
  
"MacDougal's device was causing us some concern. These caves are barely beneath   
the loch's bottom. We decided it was too risky to allow testing of the device   
in the loch, as it could uncover the fact that there are air-filled caves down   
here. If the caves were detected, someone would surely investigate, and   
regardless of how careful we were, someone would eventually discover our little   
hidey-hole, and we'd be out of business. We're not prepared to be put out of   
business, just yet."  
  
"I repeat, what do you plan to do with us?"  
  
"That's up to the captain. If you'll wait here -" Race could almost hear the   
sneer on the man's face "- we'll go see about your arrangements right now."   
  
"That's my cue," Race thought, and charged into the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Dr. Quest was almost getting used to being surprised. First, he'd been kept in   
that closet of a room on the sub for no more than ten minutes, when his captors   
had opened the hatch and led him out of the sub into a previously unsuspected   
base which had to be somewhere under Loch Ness. It was an astonishingly large   
base, with warrens of passageways and myriads of rooms, one of which became his   
new holding cell. Then he'd been surprised again when the door to his cell   
opened and Jonny and Hadji were ushered inside. He'd just recovered from that   
shock when the two goons who'd brought in the boys began acting strangely. It   
was as if they were caught in an earthquake, and couldn't keep their footing on   
the heaving ground. Then they fell completely down, and he saw it wasn't an   
earthquake. It was a force of nature, but one he was delighted and relieved to   
see up close.  
  
"Race!" Jonny, Hadji and Dr. Quest exclaimed in unison. Bandit contributed a   
short, happy bark.  
  
"In person," their rescuer replied. "Now, let's dispense with the reunion and   
get you all out of here." Race and Dr. Quest relieved the two unconscious   
henchmen of their sidearms, and handed their flashlights to the boys. Running   
to the hatch, Race quickly made sure the coast was clear, then directed Jonny   
and Hadji to head back into the tunnel they'd just came from.  
  
"Hold it a minute, Race," Dr. Quest spoke before they'd gone more than a few   
paces. "How many men did you see on your way down here?"  
  
"Just the two we left locked in the cell, why?"  
  
"I just saw the four that brought me in via the sub, and I'm wondering: is that   
all there is?"  
  
"I see where you're going with this, Doctor. So you'd like a souvenir?"  
  
Dr. Quest smiled. "It would make a convincing argument to Her Majesty's Royal   
Navy, when we bring this to their attention." He paused and calculated quickly.   
"It's about a hundred meters in the other direction." He pointed over his   
shoulder with a thumb.  
  
Race nodded. "OK, you take the boys back up to the castle the way we came down.   
It's a straight shot and you should be able to make good time with those lights.   
I'll see what I can do about requisitioning a submarine."  
  
"Good luck," Dr. Quest said as they shook hands.  
  
"Thanks, I'll need it. Keep a light on; if I can't swing it, I'll be right   
behind you." Race turned and slipped into the passageway Dr. Quest had   
indicated. Dr. Quest headed with the boys back across the main cavern, and into   
the tunnel leading to Urquhart Castle's dungeon.   
  
* * *  
  
Jonny and Hadji led the way, while Dr. Quest carried Bandit. Soon they reached   
the end of the tunnel.  
  
"Mr. Riley opened the door from the other side with a secret button," Jonny   
explained. "We left Bandit's collar to jam the door open, but it's gone and the   
door's closed."  
  
"OK, Jonny, so we need to look for a button," reasoned Dr. Quest. "There's   
bound to be some way to open the door from this side, too."  
  
It was Hadji who spotted the recessed latch on one of the beams that surrounded   
the door on this side, and lifted it. The door swung silently open, and they   
emerged back into the tiny dark cell in the lowest level of the castle. They   
continued through the dimly-lit passageway and into the fresh air of the castle   
courtyard. The place was nearly deserted, with most of the tourists having   
already left. There were only a few cars in the lot.  
  
"Let's wait here, boys. Race may be along if he can't make other arrangements."  
  
Suddenly, from the loch came a roaring sound, followed by a great disturbance on   
the surface of the water. Everyone turned to look out at the loch, then one of   
the tourists pointed excitedly.  
  
"Look, it's the monster! It's Nessie!" Cameras flashed as a long slender black   
object rose out of the water about two hundred meters off shore. Soon a long   
low body, with several humps, appeared.  
  
"It's huge!" added Hadji, while Bandit barked sharply in alarm from behind the   
safety of Jonny's legs.  
  
"Gosh, Dad, look!" exclaimed Jonny. "It really is a monster!"  
  
"No, boys, it's Race," Dr. Quest stated calmly, and with some relief.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"He's brought that evidence we'll need when we report this to the authorities.   
That's a submarine, made to look like the Loch Ness Monster. Our friends, the   
spies, used that sub to keep the locals and tourists convinced that any strange   
sights and sounds they saw or heard were the work of a strange animal in the   
loch, and not strange men." Sure enough, even as Dr. Quest spoke, a hatch   
opened in the top of the sub's conning tower, and Race appeared and waved to   
them. "It was all part of their plan to steal Professor MacDougal's device, and   
any other secrets they could come across. Thanks to you boys and Race, that's   
a plan which will not succeed."  
  
* * *  
  
The crowd of tourists seemed a bit disappointed that their Nessie sighting had   
turned out to be a sub. But soon the crowd's disappointment turned back to   
excitement as Race piloted the sub toward the shore. In a few minutes, siren   
wailing, the local constable arrived with a few of his men, and, after Race came   
ashore, he and Dr. Quest explained the situation to them. The constable   
immediately radioed the local naval base; after completing the call, he assured   
Dr. Quest that a suitable complement of naval personnel would be arriving   
directly.  
  
"Oh, there's one other thing," Race casually mentioned to the constable, who   
looked as if one more thing might be one too many. "There's four passengers on   
that sub who might need watching until the navy arrives. No need to worry just   
yet, though; they're probably still taking their naps." Race smiled as the   
constable walked over to his men.  
  
"Glad you could deliver, Race!" Dr. Quest shook his friend's hand for the second   
time in an hour.  
  
"No problem, Doctor," Race replied. Sticking a hand in a pocket, he brought   
out Bandit's collar and handed it to Jonny. "Good idea to leave that collar   
behind; I probably wouldn't have found the secret door without it."  
  
"It was Hadji's idea."  
  
"Yes," replied Jonny's friend and brother. "I was just trying to keep the door   
open. But I am glad it helped you to find us, Race."  
  
Suddenly, Annie MacDougal and her father drove up in their car. They both got   
out and rushed over. "I'm so glad you're all right, Benton! And the boys, too!"  
  
Hadji whispered something to Jonny, who nodded.  
  
"Mrs. MacDougal," Jonny began. "Is there any more of that stew left? We're   
starving!"  
  
As the rest of the group laughed and headed back to the MacDougal's car, no one   
saw the small head, or the slender neck that supported it, rise briefly from the   
surface of the loch, then slip silently beneath the waves, leaving scarcely a   
ripple.  
  
- - T H E E N D - - 


End file.
